Machine for making and stringing tags.



(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 20, I900.

w. s. mcxmnav.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STBINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.)

9 SheetsSheet l.

No. 645,567. w Patented Mar. 20, I900. W. S. MCKINNEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STBINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.)

9 $heets$heet 2 (No Model.)

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No. 645,567. Patented Mar. 20, I900.

V W. S..McKINNEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STRINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.)

(No Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E I :7 g I Z (1 y '2 E 4 Z I 5 "r 5 g I, e f 5 a 8 Q? I 1a I I No.645,567. Patented Mar. 20, I900. W, S. McKlNNEY. MACHINE FOR MAKING ANDSTRINGING TAGS (Applieation filed Apr. 7, 1899.)

9 Sheets Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

v n. c. m: nomus PETERS w. Pfioroufnp. Wuumum.

- No. 645,567. Patented Mar. 20, I900.

V W. S. McKlNN'EY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STRINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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Patanted Mar. 20, I900. w. s. MCKINNEY. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STBINGINGTAGS.

(Application filed Apr. '7, 1899.) (No Model.) 9 Sheets-Shea! B m: uumsPETERS w. PHDYO-UTHO" waannms. u, c,-

No.-645,567. Patented Mar. 20, I900. w. s. McKlNNEY. MACHINE FOR MAKINGAND STRINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 9 Shaots8heat 7.

m5 NORRIS PErEHs $0.. PHOTO UYHO.. wAsumo'rcN. a. c.

No. 645,567. Patented Mar. 20, I900. W. S. MBKINNEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STRINGING TAGS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 8.

m: uonm's PETERS co. PHoro-Lrm'u" wAe-myarom 11c Patented Mar. 20, I900.W. S. MCKINNEY. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STRINGINGTA'GS.

(Application filed Apr. 7 1899.) (H Model.) I

9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Ill/110m" Nrnn STATES PATENT Trice.

WALTER S. MCKINNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH T.-KAVENAUGH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND STRINGING TAGS.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,567, dated March20, 1900.

' Application filed April'], 1899. Serial No. 712,144. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WALTER S. MCKINNEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Ohicago,lllinois,have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Making and Stringing Tags, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for manufacturing what are commonlyknown as merchandise tags, such tags being composed of a tag proper andof an attachingstring, whichis drawn through the tag and knotted at theends to form a continuous suspending-loop. A strip of paper and astringare supplied to the machine, and the completed tags properly punched,stringed, and counted are delivered in a rapid and perfect manner.

Briefly stated, the machine operates as follows: Intermittent feed beingimparted to the paper strip, the tags are punched and perforated by adie. They are then conveyed underneath a string-containing tube orneedle, which is made to pass through the eye of the tag. The lower orfree end of the string is grasped by the jaws of a gripper, to which asemicircular upward and downward motion can be imparted. The gripperlays the string around the pins of a lever and then ascends while thelever descends, so that a long loop is drawn out or, in other words, thestringis doubled. The gripper places the end of the string next to itsbody beneath the needle, a knot-former knots or unites the ends of thestring to form a continuous loop, and then the string is severed. Thisloop is grasped by a stripper, which hangs the finished tag upon thefinger of a collecting-wheel, which is intermittently rotated by beingconnected to a suitable counting mechanism. Thus each finger willreceive a like number of tags,

which are counted and may be removed by the attendant. Of course thetags may also be printed by the machine, preferably before they arepunched out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the tag made by themachine. Fig. 2 isa plan of the machine; Fig. 3, a detail of the cam andlever for opening the tag-carrier; Fig. 4, a side elevation of themachine; Fig. 5, a side elevation of part of the ma chine, showing theoperating-cams; Fig. 6, a plan thereof; Fig. 7, an enlarged end view ofthe upper part of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow 7,Fig. 4. Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections of the knot-former,taken at right angles to each other, the tube 6 being omitted in Fig. 8;Fig. 10, a longitudinal section of the gripper; Fig. 11, a detail of thegripping-jaws; Fig. 12, a similar view of a modification; Fig. 13, aside view of the shears; Fig. 14, a bottom view thereof; Fig. 15, amodification of the needlef, showing it adapted for thinner work; Fig.16, a

detail side view of the paper-feed and punch; Fig. 17, a horizontalsection on line 17 17,

Fig. 16; Fig. 18, a plan of the top of the punch; Fig. 19, alongitudinal section of the paper-feeding mechanism; Fig. 20, a crosssection on line 20 20, Fig..19';- Fig. 21, across section online 21 21,Fig. 19; Fig. 22, an end view of the tag-carrier; Fig. 23, a planthereof; Fig. 24, a detail of a paper strip, shoW- ing how the tags'arepunched and perforated. Figs. 24 to 32 are sectional side views of thestringing mechanism, showing it in consecutive positions; Fig. 33, anend View of Fig. 28; Fig. 34, a plan of the gripper, showing itscooperation with the needle; Fig. 35, a detail of the knot made by themachine; Fig. 36, a plan of the stripper and collectingwheel with thetop plate of the stripper removed; Fig. 37, a similar view of thestripper, showing it in a different position; Fig. 38, a side elevation,partly in section, of the stripper,collecting-wheel,and countingmechanism; Fig. 39, a section on line 39 39, Fig. 38; and Fig. 40, adetail of part of the counting-wheel and operating mechanism.

The paper is intermittently fed from a reel to the punching-die by themechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 and also in Figs. 16 to 21.

Here the letter a represents a grooved slide, to which reciprocatingmotion is imparted by a cam a in such amanner, preferably, that thelength of stroke may be adjusted. In the slide is supported a rock-shaftc carrying eccentrics a which engage a vertically-1n ovable gripping-bara. The slide moves along a table a provided with a series of slats orbars a, corresponding to the grooves of the slide. A forward motion ofthe slide when the grip is closed carries the paper forward one stepequal to the width of a tag, after which the gripper a holds the paperuntil the latter is engaged by a second gripper a when the first gripperreleases the blank and is returned to its first position, the paperbeing thus prevented from becoming displaced by the backward movement ofthe slide. The feed can be made adjustable as to stroke; but in thedrawings the adjustable feature is omitted for the sake of simplicity.In Fig. 16 the cams for operating the grippers are represented, cam amoving the slide, cam a the shaft a and cam a the gripper (t The paperis fed in the manner described. to the punch Z), Figs. 16, 17, and 18,which punches out a tag of the desired contour, Fig. 24, and is operatedfrom cam 12. The punch h is provided with a secondary punch b whichforms a string hole or eye in the blank 13, Fig. 24, for the tag next tobe severed. The punch b is placed vertically above al1orizontally-movable carrier 0, Figs. 22 and 23, composed of a pair ofspring-jaws and between which the tag is seated by the movement of thepunch. This carrier is horizontally movable and adapted to convey thetag from the punch to the stringing mechanism, so that its eye isbroughtinto alinement vertically with the needle. The drawings show asingle reciprocating carrier moved from cam c by lever c and rod 0 but,if desired, a revolving carrier may be used having a number of jaws andmoved intermittently, so as to present the successive tags to theneedle. When the carrier has placed its tag underneath the needle upon atable 0, it is opened by a lever 0 Fig. 3, actuated by cam 0 so as torelease the tag.

The mechanism for stringing the tags consists, essentially, of fiveparts, viz: first, the vertically movable thread tube or needle, whichpasses the string through the tag; second, the gripper which engages thefree end of the string and doubles the thread upon itself; third, avertically-movable lever around which the string is drawn by thegripper; fourth, shears for severing the string, and, fifth, aknot-former which ties the ends of the string into a knot. In Figs. 5,6, and 7 the cams and levers which operate these parts are more fullyrepresented. The cylinder-cam d, by lever d, rock-shaft (Z and lever doperates the jaws of the gripper. The lever (i is, bylink (1 connectedto a plug d which islongitudinally movable within a rotatable sleeve (1To this sleeve motion is imparted from cam d by lever (i having arack-segment cl,

that engages a pinion d of the sleeve. The sleeve (1 is adapted to rockor make about a one-half rotation to and fro in its bearing and isprovided with a lateral extension at, so that the entire sleeve isL-shaped and that the free end of the extension (1 sweeps through asemicircle. lVithin the extension (1 is con- To the end of the pin (Zare pivhaving a reduced shank, which is received by a sleeve containinga spring. The two parts of the plug are united by a pin-and-slotconnection, as shown, the object of this construction being to preventjamming of the jaws (Z when the plug is forced against the pin (Z Itwill be seen that when the plug d impinges against pin 01 the jaws (Zare closed, and when the plug recedes the jaws are opened by the springat.

The mechanism for operating the knotforming device is as follows: Thecam c, Figs. 5 and 6, rotates by lever e, rock-shaft c and arm a havingrack c a pinion 6', Figs. 8 and 9, formed upon a hollow shaft c. Thisshaft is provided with a grooved collar c at one end and is flattened atits other end, the bore of the shaft extending nearly to the end of itsflattened portion. WVithin the bore of the hollow shaft 6 is contained aplug or shaft 6 having at its free end a grooved collar 6", while itsopposite end is flattened and provided with a pin 6 To the flattened endof the shaft 8 are pivoted at e the two jaws e of the knot-former,having hook-shaped ends a. These jaws are provided with oblique slots 6which are engaged by the pin e The jaws e are adapted to move into andout of and to rotate together with a tube (2 Fig. 9, which tube is maderotatable together with the jaws for the purpose of.not cutting thestring while the latter is wound around the jaws.

The collars e e serve to impart longitudinal motion to the shafts e e bylevers c 6 actuated by double cam 6 Fig. 6. It will be seen that themovement of the levers e a" will move the shafts e 6 forward andbackward into and out of tube 6, while the rack 6 will oscillate saidshafts.

f is a tubular thread-guide or needle which is secured to avertically-movable slide or needle-bar f, actuated by lever f pivoted atf and having rollerf, engaging cam f. The string A is threaded throughthe tube f and may be clamped intermittently at the upper end thereof bymeans of a vertically-movable plug g. This plug is guided by a groovedplate g, fastened to the needle-bar, and is normally pressed by a springg into the upper countersunk end of the needle f. The plug g is engagedby a bell-crank g turning on pivot 9 and having pin 9", which projectsacross the face of a flattened rock-shaft g, supported in bearings 9 Theshaft is rocked by crank 9 spring-actuated link 9", and lever g havingroller 9, which engages cam 9 The outwardmovement of the roller 9 willbring the edge of the shaft g against the pin 9 and will thus raise theplug 9 off the needle f to liberate the string. The inward movement ofthe roller 9 will rock the shaft g at right angles to bring itsflattened face against the pin 9 and thus the plug 9 will, by spring gbe pressed upon the needle to lock the string.

Beneath the needle (when in its uppermost position) are pivoted at h tothe machineframe a pair of shear-blades h. The shanks of these bladesare. by pivoted links 71?, connected to the collar 71, of an uprightrockshaft 7?, which turns in bearings h The shaft h is actuated from aswelling on cam f by roller h and lever 717, so that the rocking motionof the shaft will open and close the shear-blades. To normally hold theshearblades in their open position, the shaft 71 is, by spring hfiheldagainst a pair of stop-pins h i represents the lever for drawing out theloop and which has one or more pins 1 sidewise of the needle f. Thelever t' is pivoted at i to a two-armed lever i which is actuated bylink 1 bell-crank i and roller i from L The leveri is yieldingly heldagainst a stop-pin 2' of lever i by spring i Motion being imparted fromthe main driving-shaft j by wheels j to counter-shaftf, carrying thevarious cams d, d e, 9 2' f and e, the operation of the stringingmechanism is as follows: The needle f, through which the string A isthreaded, descends through the eye of the tag B, the exposed end of thestring is grasped by the jaws (Z of the gripper, Fig. 24., the plug g israised, and the needle f is raised above the shears. The gripper swingsupward to lay the string around the pins i of lever t', making ahalfrevolution, (dotted lines, Fig. 25,) and the leveriis moveddownward, so that the string A is drawn out into a loop of the desiredlength. The end of the string is, by the gripper, brought close to thebody of the string above the shears, and the plug 9 is lowered toclamp'the string to the needle. The knottingjaws 6 which during thisoperation have been advanced across the doubled string and opened, withthe hooks e pointing away from the string, now make a half-rotation toplace the hooks across the string, Fig. 26. The jaws e recede to drawthe string into the tube a, Fig. 27, and make, together with the tube, athreequarter turn, so as to lay or loop the doubled string once aroundthem,

Fig. 28, the lever 11 moving sufficiently upward to compensate for theamount of string drawn in. The jaws advance outward open and when outfull close tightly upon the doubled string above the loop, Fig. 29. Assoon as the jaws have closed upon the string the gripper releases itshold and moves sidewise, and the shears cut off the string. The jaws erevolve one-half turn, so that their hooks, clamping the string ends,point downward, Fig. 30. The leveriis given adecided jerk downward andpulls the loop off the hook 6 thereby forming a tight knot, Figs. 31 and35. When the operation is completed,

the jaws will open and recede into the tube,

Fig. 32.

Before the stringed tag is pulled off the knotting-jaws the doubledstring is engaged by a take-off device or stripper, which carries thetag to the collecting-wheel. This stripper is illustrated in Figs. 2, 4,and 36 to 38. It consists of one or more arms 70, revolved by shaft andbevel-gear 70 from shaft it as follows: The shaft 70 has a crankarm 70,to which is pivoted alever 70 having a roller 7& running in groove 70 ofstationary cam k The lever7c is, by link 76 connected to arm 7s, so thatan irregular motion is imparted to the latter. To the end of arm 7a ispivoted a claw or hook 10 provided with gear-segment engaged by a rackformed on the end of a lever is, pivoted to arm is. A second cam or cam-surface is, engaging roller 10 on lever 7t, reciprocates such lever toalternately project and retract the hook The operation is as follows:When the knot is about finished and the string is still suspended fromthe knot-former, the hook enters between the doubled string and closesupon the same. At this stage the arm 70 dwells to prevent the stringfrom being torn off the hook, and then the arm resumes its rotary motionuntil brought opposite one of the pinsl of the collecting-wheel l. Herethe hook k opens to release the tag and string it upon a pin Z, Fig. 4.The pins Z project upwardly from a hub or wheel Z, which is controlledby a counting device, so that when, say, one hundred tags have beenstrung upon one pint the wheel advances one space to bring its next pininto the proper position for receiving another set of tags. In this waythe tags assembled in uniform numbers may be removed from the machine bythe attendant.

The counting mechanism is as follows: Upon the shaft 10 is mounted aneccentric m, which oscillates a lever m around shaft on by link m Thelever m carries pawl m*, which engages and turns a ratchet-wheel mhaving, preferably, one hundred teeth, one of which, 071 is deepened.The shaft an earries a ratchet-wheel m and drives the wheel Z bybevel-gear 2 The wheel on has, preferably, ten teeth and is engaged byapawl Z carried by a spring-actuated two-armed lever Z pivoted to theframe at Z The pawl m clears the arm Z of lever Z during the passage ofthe ninety-nine normal teeth, but upon the passage of the tooth m thepawlm drops farther inward and engages the leverarm 1", so as to advancethe wheel m one space and to consequently bring another pin Z intoalinement with the stripper.

What I claim is 1. In a tag-machine, the combination of a reciprocatingneedle, with an oscillating gripper adapted to engage the string, alever around which the string is looped by the gripper, means for bodilymoving the gripperjaws to draw out the string and elongate the loop, andmeans for moving the lever toward and away from the needle,substantially as specified.

2. In a ta -machine, the combination of a reciprocating hollow needle,with a plug for intermittently clamping the string to the needle, anoscillating gripper adapted to engage the string, a lever around whichthe string is looped by the gripper, means for moving the lever towardand awayfrom the needle, means for cutting the string, and a knot-formerfor knotting the ends of the string, substantially as specified. V

3. In a tag-machine, a gripper composed of an L-shaped sleeve, a pair ofjaws, a longitudinally-movable plug within the sleeve, and means forconverting the reciprocating motion of the plug into an opening andclosing motion of the jaws, substantially as specified.

4. In a tag-machine, the combination of a rotatable sleeve with asectional spring-plug having a conical head, a pin engaged by the plug,and a pair of jaws operatively connected to the pin, substantially asspecified.

5. In a tag-machine, a knot-former composed of a tubular shaft, aninclosed longitudinally-movable and oscillating plug, a pair of jawspivoted thereto and having hookshaped ends, and a rotatable tube intoand out of which the jaws are adapted to be projected, substantially asspecified.

6. In a tag-machine, a knot-former composed of a tubular shaft, aninclosed longitudinally-movable and oscillating plug, a pair of jawshaving oblique slots and hook-shaped ends, a pin engaging the obliqueslots, and a rotatable tube into and out of which the jaws are adaptedto be projected, substantially as specified.

7. In a tag-machine, a knot-former composed of a tubular sleeve, aninclosed longitudinally-movable and oscillating plug having a flattenedend, a pair of jaws having oblique slots and pivoted to said flattenedend, and a rotatable tube into and out of which the jaws are adapted tobe projected, substantially as specified.

8. In a tag-machine, the combination of a lever '2', for drawing out theloop, with a lever i to which lever 2', is pivoted, a stop-pin '5", onlever 11 and a spring for yieldingly holding lever 1', against said pin,substantially as specified.

9. In a tag-machine, a paper-feed composed of a slide, a rock-shaft hungtherein, eccentries mounted upon the rock-shaft, a gripping-bar actuatedby the eccentrics, and a second vertically-movable gripper adapted toengage the blank when released by the gripping-bar, substantially asspecified.

10. In a tag-machine, the combination of a crank-shaft, with acam-actuated lever pivoted thereto, a stripper-arm pivoted to the lever,a hook pivoted to the stripper-arm, and means for opening and closingsaid hook, substantially as specified.

11. In a tag-machine, the combination of a paper-feed, with a punch, acarrier, a tubular needle, a plug for intermittently clamping thestring, an oscillating gripper, a lever around which the string islooped by the gripper, means for bodily moving the gripperjaws to drawout the string and elongate the loop, means for cutting the string, aknotformer, and a stripper adapted to draw the stringed tag off theknot-former, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 3d day of April, 1899.

WALTER S. MCKINNEY.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM IRVIN, W. H. BADoUX.

